IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,855,873
Granted Patent B2
US 10,855,873 · App. 16/436,154 · Granted Dec 1, 2020

Image forming apparatus

Inventors: Tomoya Fujii (Kanagawa, JP); Takayuki Andoh (Kanagawa, JP); Masatoshi Ishida (Kanagawa, JP); Yohei Osanai (Kanagawa, JP); Satoshi Narai (Kanagawa, JP); Kunihiko Nishioka (Kanagawa, JP); Masashi Ota (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
H04N1/1075H04N1/00018H04N1/00541H04N1/00551H04N1/1077
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,855,873
App. No.
16/436,154
Granted
Dec 1, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a body, an image forming device configured to form an image on a recording medium and supported by the body, an attachment configured to be removably attached to the body, and a cover configured to be removably attached to the body. The cover is configured to cover the attachment attached to the body. The attachment is configured to switch a state in use of the image forming apparatus by attaching and removing of the attachment to and from the body.

Claims (48)

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a printer body;

an image forming device configured to form an image on a recording medium, the image forming device supported by the printer body;

a roller configured to selectively guide the printer body in scanning when the image forming apparatus is in a roller contact state;

a spacer configured to be removably attached to the printer body, the spacer configured to switch the image forming apparatus from the roller contact state to a roller contactless state by attaching to the printer body; and

a cover configured to selectively dock the printer body therein.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer is attached to and removed from a side of the printer body opposed to the recording medium in formation of an image on the recording medium.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

in the roller contact state the printer body is movable for scanning while the roller rolls on a surface of one of the recording medium and a table on which the recording medium is placed; and

in the roller contactless state the printer body is movable for scanning while the roller is contactless with the surface.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the roller is supported on the printer body, and

wherein the spacer is selectively interposed between the printer body and the surface to float the roller from the surface.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an attachment switching device configured to perform switching of a support state of the spacer when the cover is attached to the printer body or when the cover is removed from the printer body,

wherein the support state is switched between an attached state in which the spacer is attached to the printer body and a separate state in which the spacer is removable from the printer body.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the attachment switching device is disposed in the cover.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 ,

wherein the attachment switching device is configured to turn on and off retention of the spacer on the cover, and

wherein the attached state and the separate state are switched in conjunction with removing of the cover from the printer body.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the attachment switching device includes: a first engaged portion disposed in the spacer, and a second engagement portion disposed in the cover and configured to engage with the first engaged portion disposed in the spacer, and wherein

the spacer is retained on the cover with engagement between the second engagement portion and the first engagement portion in the spacer being accommodated in the cover, and

the retention of the spacer on the cover is canceled with disengagement of the second engagement portion from the first engagement portion.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein the second engagement portion is configured to move to an engagement position to engage with the first engagement portion and a disengaged position to be disengaged from the first engagement portion, and

wherein the second engagement portion is configured to move to the disengaged position by contact with the first engagement portion when the cover is attached to the printer body with the second engagement portion set at the engagement position.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein the attachment includes a plurality of first engagement portions including the first engagement portion,

wherein the cover includes a plurality of second engagement portions including the second engagement portion, the plurality of second engagement portions configured to engage, respectively, with the plurality of first engagement portions of the spacer being accommodated in the cover, each of the plurality of second engagement portions configured to move in conjunction with each other between an engagement position to engage corresponding one of the plurality of first engagement portions and a disengaged position to be disengaged from the corresponding one of the plurality of the first engagement portions.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a protector configured to protect the image forming device.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the roller contactless state, the spacer is interposed between the printer body and the recording medium such that the roller does not contact the recording medium.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cover is configured to have the printer body docked therein, such that, when the printer body is undocked from the cover, the spacer selectively remains attached to the cover when the image forming apparatus in the roller contact state.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a body;

an image forming device configured to form an image on a recording medium, the image forming device supported by the body;

an attachment configured to be removably attached to the body, the attachment configured to switch a state in use of the image forming apparatus by attaching and removing the attachment to and from the body;

a cover configured to be removably attached to the body, the cover configured to cover the attachment attached to the body; and

a roller configured to selectively guide the body in scanning, wherein the state in use includes:

a roller contact state in which the body is movable for scanning while the roller rolls on a surface of one of the recording medium and a table on which the recording medium is placed; and

a roller contactless state in which the body is movable for scanning while the roller is contactless with the surface.

15. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a body;

an image forming device configured to form an image on a recording medium, the image forming device supported by the body;

an attachment configured to be removably attached to the body, the attachment configured to switch a state in use of the image forming apparatus by attaching and removing the attachment to and from the body;

a cover configured to be removably attached to the body, the cover configured to cover the attachment attached to the body; and

an attachment switching device configured to turn on and off retention of the attachment on the cover, the attachment switching device including: a first engaged portion disposed in the attachment and a second engagement portion disposed in the cover and configured to engage with the first engaged portion disposed in the attachment, and wherein

the attachment is retained on the cover with engagement between the second engagement portion and the first engagement portion in the attachment being accommodated in the cover, and

the retention of the attachment on the cover is canceled with disengagement of the second engagement portion from the first engagement portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 17, 2019
From: FUJII, TOMOYA; ANDOH, TAKAYUKI; ISHIDA, MASATOSHI; OSANAI, YOHEI; NARAI, SATOSHI; NISHIOKA, KUNIHIKO; OTA, MASASHI
To: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 049482/0770 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-169101 · Sep 10, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200084333A1 · Mar 12, 2020